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Hyndman done juggling lineup ahead of MLS Cup

TORONTO – Schellas Hyndman has done his fair share of juggling his lineup during a season where injuries and suspensions have left the FC Dallas roster threadbare. And the results haven’t been all that bad, with FCD setting records for unbeaten streaks and advancing to their first-ever MLS Cup final.

But Hyndman says he’s done tinkering as he’s found the right formula heading into Sunday’s title match (7:30 p.m. CT, ESPN2, Galavisión, TSN2).

“Sometimes when you finally get it right, you don’t want to be tinkering with it too much,” he said Friday at a press conference at BMO Field.

The gaffer was referring specifically to Dallas’ impressive 3-0 takedown of the Los Angeles Galaxy at the Home Depot Center in last weekend’s Western Conference Championship, which he said was perhaps FCD’s best performance of the season.

That match featured few surprises in the starting lineup, except for the curveball of Atiba Harris – most often deployed on the right wing this season – as the lone striker up top. Most of the prematch bluster had hinted at Jeff Cunningham returning to the 11, but the inclusion of the physical Harris threw off the Galaxy back line.

Hyndman said he doesn’t anticipate too many changes from that lineup – though he has certainly gone back on his public comments often this season.

“What you do is you put the players on the field that you think are the best at the time and let them carry it on,” he said.

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